Ever meet someone addicted to soda? Someone who has to have it daily? Drinks it with meals?

I grew up pop restricted, when it was around it was a REALLY big deal. It was bought bottled, never canned, and we always poured it into a glass over ice. I loved it. I remember summering with my Indiana cousins and they had a local establishment that had a syrupy fountain soda place in town. I’d beg and beg and beg for my driving cousins to bring me one when they were out running their errands. If I was lucky, I’d beg my way to two in one day.

For a brief period in my life we kept pop in the house, and really cheap beer, for that matter, by the case. I remember actually looking for pop on sale by the case – getting it cheaper somehow seemed important. One day I watched myself hefting the stuff up the stairs and I thought my goodness why the heck are you buying this stuff by the case?

I knew better.

When I tried to quit I found myself thinking about pop all the time. I’d concede and have one on the weekend, only to find myself consumed during the week, pining for my next when can I have a pop day.

Eventually I stopped 100% and today I might have a few sips of one at the movie theater. I still adore it’s fizzy, syrupy sweetness. Who doesn’t?

When Diet Pop came into fashion I didn’t get it…it tasted horrible. I mean really… diet soda tastes horrific.

Remember TAB ? Those of you who were devoted TAB drinkers will recall the NEED for it. The insane I MUST have my TAB. In high school one of my employers was a tab-aholic.

I think it was an addiction

What else would you call it ??

Most folks choose to drink a diet pop because of less calories. Marketing blah blah educating the masses.

Why would someone order a double cheeseburger and ask for a diet pop? Is the calorie savings really making a difference here ??

Has Americans consumption of Diet Soda reduced obesity?

I had my own personal health journey in the late 80’s. Cleaned up my diet, cleaned up my pantry, stopped stocking cases of liquid refreshment, drank water instead, began cooking scratch, started paying attention and educating myself

One of the books that fostered much change for me was Diet for a Poisoned Planet by David Steinman.

In it he says avoid Aspartame aka Equal and NutraSweet. He shares….

Aspartame was created by a scientist working on a ulcer medication, his experiment ran over the top of a beaker and he absentmindedly licked some of the foaming goo off his finger and said ooooohh this is sweet…

I kid you not.

Aspartame replaced saccharin which was banned from the market in 1971 for causing bladder cancer. Saccharin is now readily available again with warning signs that it causes cancer.

Does this make sense to you ??

The chemistry of Aspartame….

bear with me … art major here ( ha!)

Aspartame is a synthetic compound of two amino acids. Phenylalanine and Aspartate…these two compounds are held in a chemical bond by Methanol – Methanol is also known as wood alcohol.

Aspartame presents itself as a minuscule molecule that the body doesn’t metabolize slowly. Instead Aspartame goes straight into the blood stream. When Aspartame hits the blood stream it divides into its 3 parts: Phenylaline, Aspartate and Methanol.

Methanol alone is poisonous.

Normally when we eat methanol foods there is ethyl alcohol present which neutralizes the methanol

Guess what?? Aspartame doesn’t have ethyl alcohol as part of it’s parts.

Methanol has a particular affection for the blood vessels of the optic nerve, binding to them. If the levels are high enough Methanol will destroy the blood supply to the retina, causing blindness. High methanol levels during certain periods of pregnancy have resulted in lack of formation of their babies eyes.

If you heat aspartame, like to anything over 85 degrees…an actual more harmful freestanding methanol is created.

Gee — do you think diet pop might ever be stored in a garage, or be delivered in a truck or sitting in a hot warehouse ?

There are actually people who can not metabolize the amino acid phenylaline. Those 20 million or so people suffer from PKU or phenyketouria. They have a huge intolerance to Aspartame

10 Responses to Aspartame Intoxication and Methanol Poisoning

and americans thought i was a mean mother for having water at the supper table.my children never visited a doctor, except for one broken arm nor have they had any disease since the seldom pop days.birthdays and special holidays came with choice of store bought cereal and drink.signed: one mean mama

ahhhh I knew there was a reason we continue to be kindred, I too was the mean mother – and served water – how cruel can one get ?? we did have some dr days, yet in general not nearly as much as others…funny my cereal choice when i was a kid for my birthday – caption crunch – ha!! even funnier, the ” voice” of caption crunch lives in my neighborhood !!

Hi Karen,David never tasted soda until he went to a birthday part when he was 4. He didn’t LIKE IT!!! I only bought 100% juice – to this day, he doesn’t drink soda. He’d rather have plain iced tea.As for me, I think having a REAL cola drink is a HUGE treat. But my Mom never kept soda in the house except for parties.I guess it’s what you are introduced to when you are young that forms your choices as you get older.As for Coke/Pepsi etc., I see no harm in having one at the movies – the trick is all “treats” should be in moderation.

Dr Garst, The information I am resourcing is from the late 80’s, it’s beautifully referenced in Mr Steinman’s book page 376 – published in 1990 and again in 2007. I tend to see change with my clients when they stop the soda – it may or may not be scientific – but people are feeling better – I personally feel that’s the point

Just would like to say this is very true. I suffered from aspertame intoxication for about three years. no one could figure it out and i was going crazy. This is very real people need to stay away from anything that is made with, or has aspertame. Diet Coke was my best freind about 6 or 7 a day just cause it calory free. Them add splenda to everyother thing you drink cause it’s beter then sugar. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ASPERTAME IS A KILLER! Read up on it the information is out there, spread the word. Thanks.